Conventional headlamps for vehicles are headlamps, wherein standardizations may apply to such headlamps, such as for example standardizations by the International Technical Commission (IEC). Provided therein can be, for example, standards relating to an “exchangeable light source (XLS).” Such a light source can be used, for example, for an additional light function in a vehicle, such as a fog light function, daytime running light function, low-beam function, high-beam function, tail light function, signal light function, position light function, turn light function, brake light function, accent illumination function, effect light-emitting means, and for further, non-automotive applications, e.g. as light-emitting means in projectors for effect light illumination, entertainment illumination, architainment illumination, outdoor illumination, offshore illumination, illumination for wind turbines, ambient illumination, medical and therapeutic illumination or illumination for horticulture or animal husbandry. For example, the standardization can relate to referencing and rotation prevention of the light source in the headlamp.
A conventional illumination device has a semiconductor light source arrangement that is arranged on a carrier, a housing for receiving the semiconductor light source arrangement, a heat sink for cooling the semiconductor light source arrangement, and an electrical connection element for supplying the semiconductor light source arrangement with energy, wherein the heat sink has a heat sink portion that is arranged in a cutout of the housing and forms a placement surface for the carrier of the semiconductor light source arrangement, wherein the heat sink furthermore has a second heat sink portion, which is arranged with an accurate fit between the housing and the electrical connection element, and wherein furthermore the electrical connection element has electrical contacts that are guided through a perforation in the placement surface and form a press fit with the carrier of the semiconductor light source arrangement. Arranged on the housing are here preferably locking elements that serve to form bayonet locking with a socket. Likewise with preference, a sealing ring is provided, which is arranged in a receptacle of the housing.
Another conventional illumination device has a plurality of semiconductor light sources, which are arranged on a surface of a carrier, and a common optical unit for the semiconductor light sources, which covers the semiconductor light sources, characterized in that the common optical unit is configured to be rotationally symmetric with respect to an axis of symmetry that is perpendicular to the surface of the carrier and the semiconductor light sources are arranged on the carrier symmetrically with respect to the axis of symmetry. The illumination device here preferably has, in addition to an assembly circuit board which serves as the carrier, inter alia a housing and a heat sink. The heat sink preferably has a hollow-cylindrically shaped heat sink portion, which is arranged in a cutout, that is to say ring opening, of the housing, and a planar placement surface for the assembly circuit board on its side facing the (first) end face of the housing. At its second end side, the ring-shaped housing preferably has a ring-shaped flange portion which protrudes radially outwardly from an outer lateral surface of the ring-shaped housing, forms a placement surface for a sealing ring and together with locking elements constitutes a ring-shaped groove for receiving the sealing ring made of silicone or rubber. The for example three locking elements are preferably arranged along the outer circumference of the ring-disk-shaped first end surface and protrude radially from the outer lateral surface of the ring-shaped housing and form a bayonet lock with correspondingly shaped counterpieces of a socket of a motor vehicle lamp. To activate the bayonet lock, the illumination device is preferably inserted into the socket of the motor vehicle lamp and subsequently rotated clockwise about the ring axis of the housing. To limit said rotational movement, a locking element preferably has a stop, which rests in the socket or installation opening of the motor vehicle lamp after the bayonet locking. The bayonet lock can be embodied with a product-specific key, such that each type of illumination device has its own key and mixups are thus avoided. The necessary contact pressure of the illumination device with respect to the socket is preferably provided by the sealing ring. The sealing ring can be formed for example in the form of an O-ring having a radially internally molded centering lip.
Yet another conventional illumination device for a motor vehicle has at least one semiconductor light source arrangement and means for regulating or controlling the supply current for the at least one semiconductor light source arrangement, wherein the means include at least one resistor element having a temperature-dependent resistance.
When using an exchangeable light source on a vehicle headlamp, the problem occurs that, despite a standardized design of the light source, a relative position of a light exit unit (collective term for a light generator or a light source emitter and/or an optical element) varies, or differs, in dependence on the actually used light source. The problem is exacerbated with an increasing tolerance sensitivity of the optical system. The narrower a selected or specified tolerance is, the more expensive the production and/or installation generally becomes.